Initially pioneered by Dr. Mark Kaminski, Director of the Adult Hematology Clinic at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center1, radioimmunotherapy (RIT) combines two treatment modalities, one old and one new: radiotherapy and monoclonal antibodies.
Radioimmunotherapy works by delivering deadly doses of radiation to cancer cells by way of a monoclonal antibody. In other words, this targeted, biological therapy is driven by the ability of a monoclonal antibody to identify cancerous cells in the body, cling to them, then kill them with an attached radioactive substance.
What radioimmunotherapy is effective for and why
Radioimmunotherapy may one day be effective for many types of cancers, but currently, only two radioimmunotherapy treatments have received FDA approval: Bexxar and Zevalin. Bexxar is approved for patients with CD20 positive, relapsed, Rituxan-refractory follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Zevalin is approved for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell follicular lymphoma, or for patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma who achieve a partial or complete response to first-line chemotherapy.2, 3
Radioimmunotherapy side effects: Overview
Although radioimmunotherapy is a targeted treatment, it may result in the death of some healthy cells and tissue. Additionally, the treatment can and does cause side effects—namely fever, chills, low blood pressure, diarrhea, and decreased red cell counts, which can cause anemia or anemia-like symptoms, although far more severe side effects have been recorded.
Hair loss, along with nausea and vomiting, are not common side effects of radioimmunotherapy; while they may occur, they do not occur with the frequency or to the degree that they occur in standard chemotherapy.4
References
- U of M Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Lymphoma Information Network (LIN): Bexxar
- LIN: Zevalin
- LIN: Radioimmunotherapy
